Day of the Daleks

"All enemies of the Daleks must be destroyed!"

Writer: Louis Marks
Format: TV
Broadcast: 1st-22nd January 1972
Season: 9.01

Featuring: Third Doctor, Jo

Synopsis

On Earth in the 22nd century, Daleks have enslaved the planet and humans live in fear of their masters. Meanwhile, back in the 20th century, a peace conference is urgently needed to prevent World War Three. When reports reach UNIT of a ghost at Auderly House - the site for the conference - the Doctor and Jo decide to investigate. Danger is waiting for them there, including a trip two hundred years into the future without the TARDIS...

Verdict

Day of the Daleks was a very good Doctor Who story and it really did see me have a trip down memory lane! I believe this is only the second Classic era story that I have watched this year which is quite unusual for me but 2017 has been rather relaxed in terms of blogging and that's because my life has not been relaxed elsewhere! But with a free day and nothing planned, I couldn't resist chucking on an old story and I just fancied myself some Jon Pertwee. The Third Doctor is terrific and that is demonstrated on a number of occasions in this story. I really love his relationship with Jo and I also enjoyed seeing the mutual respect between him and the Brigadier. I thought the focus of the story being on Auderly House and Sir Reginald was very intriguing and I really liked how the story was alternating between being set in the twentieth and twenty-second centuries. This story was obviously a big deal back in 1972 with it not only kicking off a season but also heralding in the return of the Daleks after five years of absence. It was their colour television debut too and the Daleks really did look different here compared to their appearances in the black and white era. I have always been a big fan of the Daleks but I must admit I'm not sure that they were actually needed in this story. It came as no surprise to me when I learned that they did not appear in the original script as it really did not seem like they were needed. They didn't really seem to impact the adventure much and with only three of them appearing, the effect they had seemed limited. The story itself though was very good and I thought the Controller served as a superb character. His loyalty to the Daleks was tested on more than one occasion but I did enjoy how easily he gained Jo's trust once she found herself two hundred years into the future. The Doctor soon joined her which was always inevitable and I liked the relationship that he gained with the rebels of the Earth's future. This story seemed to initially draw comparisons with The Dalek Invasion of Earth with us entering the adventure with the monsters having already won. I like that concept a lot and for the futuristic part of this story it worked well. The idea of 7/8 of the Earth's population being wiped out was almost incomprehensible. The threat of World War Three in the present setting of the story was also excellent and I imagine that was something that hit hard to a number of viewers back in 1972. Following yesterday's election, which was wonderful with the unexpected Labour surge, the numerous jokes regarding politicians were most welcomed. The Ogrons made their debut in this adventure and I liked how the Daleks enjoyed having them as servants because they were loyal and obedient, even if they were a tad useless. They really were portrayed as being big dummies. The use of a temporal paradox was very intriguing when it came to historical events and the rebels' efforts to change history. The Doctor being so accepting of that seemed a little surprising I must admit but it would mean that he could save humanity from the devastation of the Daleks. It meant one life was sacrificed in the most heroic circumstances but Auderly House was a small price to pay for ensuring the safety of the human race in the future. Overall, a very good adventure!

Rating: 8/10